The excitement is in tents

(pun intended)

Zeltbahn shelter quarters

The Zeltbahn, or German shelter quarter, is an item of basic military equipment that was produced in millions, but which does not seem to receive the same attention as many other aspects of military history. The purpose of this website is to provide the most comprehensive reference source on Zeltbahn shelter quarters used by the German armed forces of World War 1 and World War 2, including types, variants, accessories and their use in pictures and words and to provide information not previously available in published form.

This is very much a work in progress. As time permits, it will grow to cover derivatives and related items used by other nations throughout the twentieth century. Please visit regularly to follow new developments as more information and images are added. Aspects yet to be covered include:

Development, dimensions, patterns and features

Basic issue of tent equipment and accessories, standard issue entries as found in Soldbücher

Clothing, headwear and other items made using Zeltbahn material

Manufacturers and markings

Examples of Zeltbahn and other equipment items

Review of camouflage patterns from their introduction on Zeltbahn material

Cleaning, repairs and restoration

Reproductions and how to identify items that are not always what they are claimed to be

Other military tents

Other forms of camouflage and items featuring Zeltbahn camouflage material and related patterns

Spelling and terminology

Where appropriate, German terms are used together with explanatory translations. German plural nouns are also used to avoid creating artificial German plural nouns in English. For those not familiar with German, plurals are generally formed by adding -n or -en to the singular noun, e.g. Zeltbahnen. Salient terms and irregular plurals are explained and summarised in the glossary section.

Disclaimer

The information presented here is intended for historical and research purposes only. The author has no intention to glorify war, nor does he promote or support any extreme political, neo-nazi or revisionist beliefs or ideology whatsoever.